Tongs



jan. 3G, 1923.

w. L. TDUNN ET AL.

2 sHEETs- SHEET 1 Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,568

w; DUNN ET AL.

ToNGs. FILED FEB. 16, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 A TTORNEY' Patented dan. 30, 1923.

Uhli@ STATES hia PATENT @FFE-@Ee WILLIAM L. DUNN, WILLIAM H. BURSTALL, AND EUGENE J. iJIEiJRIoII, OF OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoRs 'ro DUNN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA TONGS.

Application led February 16, 1921. Serial 110.1445528.

To all whomt 72mg/ concer/l1.:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM L. DUNN, lViLLiAM H. BURSTALL, and EUGENE J. DiED- RICH, citizens of the United States, residing at Oxnard, in the county of Ventura and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to tongs for operating pipe, tools and other elements usedy and employed in drilling wells, and generally in and about well rigs, and particularly used in connection with drilling deep oil wells. The inventiomhowever, pertains to wrenches and tongs generally, in so far as its fea-tures are capable of adaptation to the same. The invention has for its object to provide iinprovenients relating to such tongs and wrenches, and particular features and aspects thereof, as will be hereinafter pointed out and claimed, and which will be generally superior in eiiiciency and serviceability, taken in conjunction with inexpensiveness, compactness in form, durability and reliability and convenience in use and service.

The invention consists in the new and useful provision, combination, association, construction and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing, and finally pointed out in claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a top plan view partly broke away, of an improved tongs or wrench, in-

cluding the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of av fragment thereof, taken at right angles to the showing thereof in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the showing in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary view of a. further portion of the showing in Figure 1 upon an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail face view of a part of the showing in Figure 1, same beino fragmentary;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the showing in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an enlarged side elevation, fragmentary, of features shown in Figure 1, looking in they direction of the enlarged arrow in Figure 1, the wrench or tongs beino' reversed end for end;

Figure S is a perspective view of oil well tongs and showin@r a particular construction Figure .9 is a perspective view of one of the gripping members.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters. Referring with particularity to the drawing, the tongs or wrench comprises in the main a -lurality of ripping members A B and (il which are L hinged together and hinged in a series at one end to a handle member D, as by pintles 8, the free end member B being bifurcated, as at 9 to embrace a sleeve 10 loosely surrounding a pin 11, and which sleeve is adapted to be engaged by a jaw or shoulder 12 in thev adjaf cent end of the handle member D. Within each of t-he members A, B and C is disposed a detachably mounted bushing E. The member B is provided with a handle member F detachably applied to the same by means of a bolt 13 and nut 14 thereon, and such han- `dle member is utilized for manipulating the members A, B and C to swing the same around the work or disengage the same from the Work.

In all the respects so far mentioned, the features named are in general use, and are in accordance with previous inventions of lVilliam L. Dunn,-of us, and the same are not to be considered as pertaining to the subject matter of the present invention excepting as they are used in connection with such .present invention and its particular features.

One or more of the bushings E is or are provided with a serrated or roughened gripping inset 15, and the same is held in place by a sinuous, undulating or serpent-ine leaf spring 16 constituting securing means for suc-h inset, the spring and inset to be mounted within a suitable Slot or recess '17, produced in the facial portion of the bushing.

The handle member F is provided at each side, adjacent to its inner end, with a fork or spaced furcations 18, adapted to receive achain 19, one end of which is connected with an eye 20 upon the shouldered end of the handle member D', such chain including in its length, or preferably being provided at its inner end, where it is secured to the eye Q0, with a contractile ycoil spring 21.

Special attention is called to the fact that the sleeve 10 which is engaged by the jaw or shoulder 12 of the handle member D, is

in the Joining of t e gripping members; and

made polygonal, as shown at 22. Thus when the jaw or shoulder`12 is in position for working the tong elements, one of its faces` as 23, will engage one of the flat faces as at 24 of the sleeve l0. In order to at all times maintain the sleeve 10 in a definite position aspring member 25 is joined at one end with the member B as at 26; the opposite portion as at 27 bearing against one of the fiat faces as 28 of the sleeve 10. The sleeve shown in the drawing is shown to be a pent-agen in shape; however, any number of faces might be used. Byv using a polygonal roller or sleeve 10 the roller does not give like a cylindrical roller when the jaw portion 12 of the handle D comes into contact with the same. Furthermore, by allowing flat faces as sho-wn at 23 and 24 to engage one another u grooving is overcome, as Well as creep of the sleeve. In other words, a more rigid structure is provided.

Referring to'Figures 8 and 9, there is shown a. particular form of construction for the work-engaging member and particularly the grip-ping members thereof. It will be noted that the gripping member A is so formed as to have spaced knuckles 30 and 31 at each end thereof. The gripping members B, and C are likewise formed at one of their ends as 32 and 33 respectively, with spaced knuckle members 34 and 35 respectively, which knuckle members 34 and 35 are adapted to interengage with theI knuckle vmembers 30 and 31 of the member A. The

pintles 8 in each case maintain the members A, B and C 1n a connected series.

It has been found that this constructionl affords an-increased strength in the workengaging member, as the stress is distributed along the pintles 8. In Figures 8 and 9 it will be observed that the gripping members B and C are provided at their ends as 32 and 33 respectively, with three spaced knuckle members while the intermediate gripping member A which is disposed between the gripping members B and C is provided with two spaced knuckle members at each end thereof.

Althoughwe have not shown bushings E -in position upon the gripping members in Figures 8 and 9, obviously they are so constructed that gripping members may be held thereto by means of bolts passing from said bushings into openings 36 in the gripping members.

In the operationy and use of the tongs or wrench including the features of the invention, the members A, B and C, when applying the same to pipe or other object to be operated, are. opened out at their hinge connections, and then swung around the work, the sleeve 10 being linally entered in the jaw 12 in the handle member D. The chain 19 is then passed into one of the bifurcations at 18, at either side of the handle wrench, being firmly engaged with the work,

may be swung to operate the work, as for instance, to unscrew Jointed pipe or casing, or tools ]o1nted to such pipe or casing, and

upon the return stroke of the Wrench the I bushings E will be released from the work, the handle member D to that end swinging in the direction of the large arrow beneath the handle member in Figure 1, the operating stroke being executed in the opposite direction. In this disengaging stroke of the tongs or wrench the swing of the: handle member is opposed by the tension of the v spring 21, and the moment that the handle member is again reversed to execute a further operative movement, the tension of the spring brings the bushings E, or the members A, B and C, quickly and effectively into operative engagement with the work, preventing any lost mot-ion of the tongs or wrench. Where such spring is not employed, a slippage takes place as between the tongs or wrench and the work, resulting in lost motion of the tongs, and the failure of the tongs to produce its full operative strokey upon the work.

The chain 19 is readily applied in its working position by fitting it into one of the bifurcations at 18, and likewise may readily be removed from such position to free the tongs from the work.

The inset 15 may readily be removed, byv removing the respective holding spring 16, as for replacement, after the serrations have become worn or dulled, and the use of such spring permits a quick replacement job, obviating the necessity of the time-consuming removal and replacement of screws or other devices.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the constructionand mode of application of the features of the invention, all

vwit-hout departing from the spirit of the handle member, and said work-engagin member being provided with a urcated member adi ted to likewise receive said flexible mem er to maintain a working relation between said work-engaging member and said handle member; said ilegible member having an elastic portion.

2. A tool of the character disclosed, comprising a handle member, and a work-engaging member pivotally connected with the same and adapted' to be held in connection with the work by the handle member; a flexible member being connected with said handle member, and a. furcated member carried by the work-engaging member adapted to likewise receive said `flexible member to maintain aworking relation between said Work engaging member and said handle member; said flexible member having an elastic portion, suchflexible member consisting of a chain, and said elastic portion consisting of a contractile coil spring.

3. A tool oi' the character disclosed, having a handle member and a work-engaging member pivotally connected at one end and adapted to be operated by the' handle member, a flexible member being provided for further connecting the work-engaging member and the handle member to hold the work-engaging member to the work; said flexible member being provided with an elastic portion.

4. A tool of the character disclosed, having a handle member and a work-engaging member pivoted at one end to said handle member, said handle member bein shouldered to cooperate with the other end of said work-engaging member; a flexible member being provided for holding said work-en gaging member to the work; said exible member having an elastic portion.

5. A tool of the character disclosed, having a handle member and awork-engaging member pivoted at one end to said handle member7 said handle member being shouldered to cooperate with the other end of said work-engaging member; a HeXible member being provided for holding said work-engaging member to the work; said flexible member having an elastic portion and consistinlglvof a chain and contractile spring.

6. tool of the. character disclosed, having a handle member and a work-engaging member pivoted at one end to said handle member, said work-engaging member being provided at the other end with a polygonal roller, and the said handle member being shouldered to cooperate with a fiat face of said roller; said shouldered portion of the handle member presenting av fiat face for engagement with a lat face of the roller, means likewise being provided for releasa-bly holding the roller in a' fixed position, said means comprising a spring member joined with the work engaging member and bearing against a face of the polygonal roller. v

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

W1 LIAM L. DUNN. Y v WILLIAM li. BURSTALL.

EUGENE J. DIEDRICH. Vitnesses:

HENRY C. DOWNES, LUNA SCHMITZ, 

